Bar Works: Why Work at Home When You Can Work in a Bar

September 14, 2016

12:33 pm

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As freelancers, travelers, and entrepreneurs, we all know the plight of finding a work environment that not only inspires creativity, but also lacks the baristas giving you the stink eye. Sure, it feels like coworking spaces are a dime a dozen now, especially in New York and Silicon Valley; however, most of them share essentially the same attributes, cost structures, and amenities.

Bar Workson the other hand is looking to shake things up a bit, starting with their unique venues-turned-coworking spaces. In most cases their venues were previous bars or restaurants, and rebuilt into a working atmosphere. Although their alcoholic drinks are not free, they too feature the common amenities found at modern coworking spaces, but also feature a month-to-month tiered flat-rate fee for memberships. With locations in New York and several more on the way, they have recently expanded to San Francisco and have a unique plan for London, UK.

This month, Bar Works plans to launch the first of 50 Pod Works spaces around London by the end of the year. The former iconic red phone booths are being transformed into easy to use, short-term work spaces for professionals on the go.

Featuring hourly rates, these pods will include a standing desk, free UK based phone calls, internet connection, a printer and scanner, hot beverage machine, monitor, and more. Priced at £19.99 a month, members will be able to access any of the upcoming Pod Works spaces across the UK, day or night. By 2018 they expect to have more than 500 Pod Works spaces across the UK.

Reviving Jack’s

Most recently Bar Works acquired Jack’s on Sacramento for $3.55 million, an iconic, 150+ year-old-building, spanning four floors.

In an interview with former owner Philippe Jeanty back in 2012, he was set on finding someone who wanted to continue on with his mission of retaining the Jack’s name.

“I’ve had a few interested parties, but I’m holding off,” Jeanty stated. “One person wanted to do an Italian restaurant, one person wanted to a real estate office, but it’s not what the building is calling for. It deserves to remain Jack’s.

With Bar Works’ acquisition of the space, the name will live on as Bar Works at Jack’s. Once opened, the space will be home to 400 workspaces, a bar, and dining facilities.

“It’s a terrific venue in a great location, and we expect K2’s work at Jack’s to enhance every aspect of the building’s appeal. Their plans will bring Jack’s back to life and revitalise the retained belle époque décor and atmosphere”, said Bar Works CEO Jonathan Black. “Their plans [K2 Architecture] will bring Jack’s back to life and revitalise the retained belle époque décor and atmosphere.”

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Elliot is an award winning journalist deeply ingrained in the startup world and is often digging into emerging technology and data. When not writing, he's likely either running or training for a triathlon. You can contact him by email at elliot(@)elliotvolkman.com or follow him on Twitter @thejournalizer.